Final answer:
The government created the Committee on Public Information to launch a vast advertising and propaganda campaign to boost war support and counter dissent. It used various media to present the cause as just and demonize the enemy, employing censorship to manage dissent.
Step-by-step explanation:
To counter dissent and boost enthusiasm for the war, the government established the Committee on Public Information, which launched a massive campaign of advertising and propaganda. Under the direction of George Creel, a former journalist, the Committee leveraged various forms of media including radios and films to influence American public opinion. This nationwide program aimed at "selling the war" involved various efforts, including the use of propaganda posters and the training of '4 Minute Men' to deliver patriotic speeches, and emphasized patriotic duties such as rationing, registering for the draft, and working in war-related industries.
The goal was not just to garner support for enlisting in the military or working in factories, but to also craft a narrative that demonized the enemy and portrayed the U.S. cause as just and necessary. The propaganda campaigns during both World Wars sought to promote unity and a voluntary spirit amongst citizens, fostering the image of citizen soldiers contributing to the national effort, with censorship used as a tool to manage civilian discontent and ensure that the narratives remained favorable to the war efforts.